1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wiring connecting device between railway vehicles in which wiring cables of front and rear vehicles are connected between the vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a train is composed, it is necessary to mutually connect many electric circuits and air circuits to each of the composed vehicles so as to control the operations of a power device and a brake device of each vehicle by generalizing and controlling acceleration and braking in a operator's seat of the lead vehicle.
Wiring cables for connecting such electric circuits of the respective vehicles to each other are arranged along the vehicle longitudinal direction below the floor face in each vehicle. It is general that these wiring cables are connected by so-called jumper cables flexed downward between the front and rear vehicles so that the electric circuits between the vehicles are connected.
In such a connecting device using the jumper cables, when no wiring cables of the front and rear vehicles are set to the corresponding position, no jumper cables for connecting these wiring cables can be connected as they are. Therefore, it is necessary to cross and connect the jumper cables between the vehicles.
However, when the jumper cables are crossed and connected between the vehicles in this way and the number of wiring cables of the front and rear vehicles is increased, the situation that the jumper cables interfere with each other within a narrow space between the vehicles and cannot be properly connected is caused. In particular, the jumper cable is flexed downward in consideration of the running of a curved railroad. Accordingly, when the number of jumper cables is increased, it is difficult to cross the jumper cables.
It is also considered that the wiring below the floor of the vehicle is devised in advance without crossing the jumper cables between the vehicles. However, there is also a case in which no wiring is devised in this way. Namely, the case that only two kinds of vehicles constructed by a first vehicle including an cab and a second vehicle including no cab are used and are coupled by using a permanent coupler called a link bar and are desirously utilized as a train of four or five vehicles, corresponds to this case.
Concretely, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A with respect to the train of four vehicles, a vehicle 101 (see FIG. 6B) with an cab 101a is arranged in each of front and rear both end portions of the train. Two vehicles 102 (see FIG. 6C) without cab are arranged between these vehicles 101. In this case, the positions of the wiring cables are reversely located leftward and rightward with respect to two vehicles 101, 102 on the front and two vehicles 102, 101 on the rear side. Therefore, no wiring cables can be directly connected as they are. Accordingly, it is necessary to cross the jumper cables connecting the wiring cables between the vehicles. Therefore, when the number of wiring cables necessary to be connected is increased, the jumper cables would interfere with each other so that no jumper cables can be properly connected as mentioned above.
JP2000-71984-A (see page 1 and FIG. 1) discloses an electric coupler for a railway vehicle of a type in which the electric coupler is fixed to an intermediate coupler with a mechanical buffer so as to be moved in the longitudinal direction. Concretely, one adapter case is arranged instead of the assembly of two normal electric couplers to entirely form the electric coupler simply and lightly in weight. Combination cables are crossed and wired leftward and rightward within this adapter case so as to be combined on the correct sides of the connecting cables and in a correct function with respect to the railway vehicle coupling the combination cables thereto. The connecting cables of both the railway vehicles are combined with each other through a plug and socket connection (assembly) or fixing cables each having at least one plug and socket connection (assembly).